Biography
Takasugi Masao was a low-ranking member of a Yakuza family at the time of his death. Having been killed in a case of mistaken identity during a war between two family factions, his untimely end was written off by local law enforcement as a terrible case of ‘wrong place, wrong time’.
Understanding quickly that he had died, and coming to the conclusion that there was indeed an afterlife, Masao also quickly came to the inevitable conclusion that he must have been sent to hell for the deeds he had committed whilst alive. He watched powerlessly as the highest ranking members of both his family and the opposition were picked off one at a time in a brazen show of uncharacteristically open warfare that neither the local police nor the families themselves could halt. His family headquarters became a bloodbath, and all he could do was witness the slaughter.
Soon, his old family headquarters was seemingly overrun by chained souls from both families, clamouring in confusion. Unfortunately the violence escalated once again, with souls breaking their own chains to claw at the throats of their own murderers, too enveloped in their own selfish desire for immediate and utter revenge that not one of them stopped to consider the consequences. Masao couldn’t hold them responsible for their own stupidity, even after he witnessed the influx of hollows that poured into the tower block as a result – who could possibly have known?
It didn’t take long for the Shinigami to arrive, and Masao watched in horror as each hollow was dealt with. Outside the building, a deep rumbling shook the very windows behind him as a hell gate emerged. With wide eyes he watched as the souls he had once called family turned to hollows, only to be then dispatched by Shinigami and pulled screaming inside the gate. Even some who had not broken their chains were pulled inside when Soul Burial was performed on them, leaving Takasugi torn between breaking his own chain to become a monster and make a run for freedom, or sit tight and take responsibility for the sins he had committed in life. He made his peace. He patiently waited to be sucked into the gate as a black-uniformed woman touched his forehead with the pommel of her zanpakutou. A flash of light. Forgiveness. Takasugi Masao awoke in District 32 with no memory, but a soul-bound terror of repercussions for past sins he couldn’t recollect, both real and imagined.
Perhaps being around so much death at the end of his life imbued him with a heightened affinity for the spiritual, or perhaps whatever spark of exceptional talent he lacked in life was granted to him in the afterlife – either way, Takasugi found himself with a perpetual hunger that tied his stomach in knots and a newly acquired (or rather freshly polished) moral compass. With the visceral drive to be a better man, having sensed deep down his then unknown origins were perhaps better forgotten for the time being, he learned of the Academy, the Shinigami and in turn, the hollows they worked to purify, and felt compelled to join. His newly adopted family tried to convince him otherwise, even going so far as to tug him back by his tattered robes, but to no avail. His feet simply moved forwards, his mind set on the magnetic pull that propelled him towards his destiny and the strangely familiar men and women in black and white.
His time at the Academy was uneventful, for the most part. Takasugi seemed to have middling skills in all core combat disciplines, and a higher than average reiatsu output that put him in the upper percentile of his classmates. He was especially gifted in tactical planning and leading small teams during the Material World classes and assessments and demonstrated a clear head for prioritising targets and objectives with minimal casualties to his team, whether he lead the assault or was following orders. Though his raw physical abilities left much room for improvement, his ability to hone in on the spiritual signatures of specific targets, especially when surrounded by several targets with high reiatsu that would otherwise obscure less intense signatures left him in high regard with his tutors.
When he was nearing the end of his time in the Academy, he was approached by the 12th Division and ordered to take part in an ongoing experiment that would assess the Gotei’s ability to quickly provide battle-ready replacement Captains and Vice Captains in the event one was assassinated or outright killed in combat. He was led away from his classes and taken to a research facility, where he was injected with the newest iteration of a concoction that was so dangerous it had either killed its previous ‘volunteers’ or left them in such a state that they were not fit to continue service. As this was explained to Takasugi, he took note that the assistant who explained the so far 100% failure rate avoided his eye and was deliberately vague when asked about what ‘fit to continue service’ actually meant. Given how blasé the assistant was when confirming his death was almost a certainty, he was left wondering what could be so terrible about the souls who had survived that he was not permitted the details.
It was confirmed to him that they were selecting candidates that displayed a natural affinity for leadership, and who’s spirit would be able to handle a large, sudden increase in reiatsu output without them disintegrating into reishi. The ‘or worse’ was left unsaid. In a rather anticlimactic wave of dizziness, Takasugi simply passed out when injected, and the experiment was celebrated as a resounding success – Takasugi’s reiatsu output skyrocketed to the point where the junior scientists in the surrounding buildings passed out with him, their work for the most part needing the utmost care and attention then being ruined from lack of monitoring.
When Takasugi awoke, he was informed he had been approved for graduation and would be leading the 3rd Division as it’s Captain. He promptly passed out again.
Although the experiment was attempted many more times on other candidates after Takasugi accepted his haori, the results would never again be replicated and the near 100% failure rate led to the research ultimately being archived. Takasugi was given the order to report in with the 12th Division on a monthly basis, so they might continue to document his unusual development – after all, who ever heard of an Academy student being immediately promoted to Captain without even so much as knowing the name of their Zanpakutou?
Appearance & Mannerisms
Takasugi Masao stands at a solid 6’3. His hair is a deep black and buzzed on either side of his head, though longer on top and messy with a drooping fringe that skims just below the left eye. He wears his hair long at the back, either drawn back into a ponytail or braided neatly with metal rings and beads. His lip is pierced on either side with silver rings, and he wears two silver eyebrow bars above the right eye. His right ear is also pierced with a plain silver stud in the earlobe and tragus, and two orbital hoops on the outer shell, with the upper hoop connecting to the tragus stud and the lower connecting to the earlobe with light silver chains. He maintains a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, and below the right side of his chin an oddly shaped and poorly healed scar can be seen extending down his neck.
As an unfortunate side effect of him suffering from intense migraines when subjected to sunlight, he is usually only assigned to evening missions and assignments, so appears physically drained and of ill health when interacted with during the daylight hours. During the day, he presents a sinister, ambling presence with broad, hunched shoulders and a near permanent looming half-stumble to his gait that almost reminds one of sleepwalking. He wears a pair of red-tinted goggles to assist with his migraines, though their effectiveness is debatable and may just serve to inadvertently add to his creepy aura.
By night, Takasugi returns to ‘normal’, having slept the previous day away in preparation for his duties in the evening. His stance straightens out, his lumbering hunch vanishing in place of a confident, purposeful stride befitting his strict dedication to his role within the Gotei. He wears his goggles around his neck, revealing tired but alert eyes of a deep brown, until the sun rises and the pain in his head starts again, after which he beats a swift retreat if he’s able into the nearest Senkaimon with his goggles firmly attached to his head. He wears the standard uniform of the Shinigami with no deviations whatsoever, however underneath he has the outline of a full Munewari depicting a kraken attempting to drown a dragon, sans colour, his death occurring before he could complete it. Having only just been promoted to Captain, his Haori is pristine and without customisation. His Zanpakutou is nothing but an asauchi, but it has attached to him enough to take the form of a plain pine tantō with no guard and with no finish.
Personality
Takasugi is a man of strict honour and duty, having been a low-ranked Yakuza family man in his former life. Though he does not remember his past prior to awakening in Soul Society, his previous mannerisms have bled through into his new life and he maintains a deep-seated belief in responsibility, accountability and position. He does, however, have a deeply rooted fear of making the wrong choices and moral corruption, though he cannot quite remember why – it is enough that he gets a shiver of cold terror whenever a hell gate materialises before him to claim a damned soul that he has since stopped asking himself why. Instead, he is content to complete his work as painlessly and as kindly as possible, seeing the compassionate dispatching of hollows as a moral imperative, rather than just another task assigned to him.
Despite his imposing presence and the rough, unrefined timbre of his voice, Takasugi has a heart of gold and strives to make the world a better place. He is a man of few words and a gentle soul through and through, and has long since decided to lend whatever strength he has to those who need it most – on days he can stand to be out in the sun, and where his new duties as Captain of the 3rd Division allow, he can be seen strolling through Rukongai’s poorest regions, aiding in the construction of shelters and helping tend the fields.
Takasugi has few selfish aspirations, and had little to no interest in climbing the ranks of his Division prior to his promotion. He is content to perform the duties assigned to him to the best of his ability, and finds satisfaction in a job well done enough to need little recognition, though he doesn’t seem to realise his lack of motivation hinders his wish to gain his own strength, rather than be satisfied with what was artificially forced upon him.
Zanpakutou
奇人 の 絶望 Kijin no Zetsubō (Despair of the Eccentric)
Zanpakutou Sealed Appearance: Kijin no Zetsubo, when sealed, takes the form of a straight-bladed, guardless tanto/aigushi. The asauchi he was given has molded quickly to Takasugi, with it's blade, shape and size taking on the katakiriha style of tanto, but it has yet to complete this process so remains simple in design with no fittings or ornamentation. The blade is only sharpened on the right side, though this does not hinder its ability to cut and slash. The wood of the zanpakutou resembles simple pine, lacking a glossy finish. The grain of the wood is plainly visible, and looks to be rough and untreated.
Zanpakutou Spirit: Kijin no Zetsubō takes the form of an Onryo. She is devastatingly beautiful, the same way the end of the world might be as the sun makes its final decent over barren fields of crushed concrete. It's almost impossible to look away from her - she is grace incarnate, and her white, flawless robes billow about her, liquid and ethereal as she floats. She exudes a silent yet absolute regal aura which commands attention and respect. Her black hair flows smoothly down her back, oiled and preened to perfection. Her stare pierces, unforgiving and all-seeing in its intensity. A white mask, masculine and harsh in comparison to the rest of her, adorns the bottom half of her face, covering her upper and lower jaw completely. The black teeth that adorn the mask are long and razor sharp, and are upturned in mocking rictus. The mask is disturbingly similar to that of an Arrancar. Her glittering yellow eyes, complete with black sclera, complete the unsettling likeness.
Kijin no Zetsubō never speaks out loud. Her voice, empty and hollow and wrong to the soul whispers within Takasugi's mind. She is a demanding mistress who revels in the discomfort and paranoia of her wielder, and who's favor might never truly be gained. She grows weary of the world quickly, and sees Takasugi's attention as her sole right to enjoy, and though she will never admit to it, despises his interactions with anybody else who might occupy his attention for more than a few minutes. The more he seeks solitude, the calmer she seems to be - until she grows bored with the tedium of being attached to a man who, in her view, has not earned his strength nor rank and therefore has not earned a moment of her time.
Inner World: Takasugi's Inner World is entirely at Kijin no Zetsubō mercy, and she may change her surroundings upon a whim to better serve her mood. It generally defaults to a ruined version of Kabukichō, where the weather flip-flops between heavy rain and a mist so thick it feels oppressive and difficult to breathe.
Release Command: Obfuscate
Shikai
Obfuscate, Kijin no Zetsubō
Shikai Appearance: The simple tanto transforms into two sets of 5 claws with each blade being 80 inches long, or just under 3ft. Each blade brackets a finger in the following formation, with 0 being blades and 1 being Takasugi's fingers: 010101010. The blades weigh nothing and are not attached to a gauntlet or any structure - they float a centimetre from the webbing of Takasugi's fingers and appear to be made of purple glass. Each claw curves gently in an elegant arc, with the last 5 inches curving wickedly at an angle.
Shikai Type/Element: Dark, Occult
Passive Ability I: Life Obfuscation
After releasing Shikai, Takasugi's existence and abilities become obfuscated in a few distinct ways. His spiritual presence gives off no energy signature, meaning he cannot be detected or located remotely by means other than simple sight. Takasugi leaves no footprints or bodily residue behind, such as blood, hair or fingerprints. His abilities become unknowable and incomprehensible to those who have not personally witnessed them first hand - even passing along information by word of mouth falls on deaf ears with anything being said losing its meaning. This also applies to any attempt to write down intel, or record it via other means. The extrapolation of information between his Shikai and Bankai is also obfuscated.
Passive Ability II: Void Manipulation
Kijin no Zetsubo grants Takasugi the ability to create and manipulate black masses of hair from any place not illuminated within a 25 yard/22 meter radius with him at the center. He may change the shape and density of the mass at will, though he loses a fraction of control over any part of it that enters any light source that generates a shadow. Each hair is razor sharp, has the flexibility of a regular hair, and is coated with a black foul copper-smelling ooze comparable to oil. Each hair is seemingly endless when being pulled from the mass, but may be detached and manipulated separately if Takasugi wishes.
Passive Ability III: Energy Nullification
The hair that Void Manipulation generates has a secondary ability which allows it to drain/absorb sources of spiritual energy it comes into contact with. The masses of hair generated may be used defensively to negate incoming attacks with success being determined by the strength of the incoming attack, the density of the mass of hair used to block and the duration of contact between the two. The mass will constantly absorb the reiatsu (and reiryoku if in contact with a being) at a steady rate as long as contact is maintained. The masses of hair may also be used offensively with the goal of draining the target of their energy reserves.
Bankai
奇人の完全な絶望 Kijin no kanzen'na zetsubō (Utter despair of the eccentric)